King of the World

Author: Philip Mansel
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022669092X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 669

Book Description
Louis XIV was a man in pursuit of glory. Not content to be the ruler of a world power, he wanted the power to rule the world. And, for a time, he came tantalizingly close. Philip Mansel’s King of the World is the most comprehensive and up-to-date biography in English of this hypnotic, flawed figure who continues to captivate our attention. This lively work takes Louis outside Versailles and shows the true extent of his global ambitions, with stops in London, Madrid, Constantinople, Bangkok, and beyond. We witness the importance of his alliance with the Spanish crown and his success in securing Spain for his descendants, his enmity with England, and his relations with the rest of Europe, as well as Asia, Africa, and the Americas. We also see the king’s effect on the two great global diasporas of Huguenots and Jacobites, and their influence on him as he failed in his brutal attempts to stop Protestants from leaving France. Along the way, we are enveloped in the splendor of Louis’s court and the fascinating cast of characters who prostrated and plotted within it. King of the World is exceptionally researched, drawing on international archives and incorporating sources who knew the king intimately, including the newly released correspondence of Louis’s second wife, Madame de Maintenon. Mansel’s narrative flair is a perfect match for this grand figure, and he brings the Sun King’s world to vivid life. This is a global biography of a global king, whose power was extensive but also limited by laws and circumstances, and whose interests and ambitions stretched far beyond his homeland. Through it all, we watch Louis XIV progressively turn from a dazzling, attractive young king to a belligerent reactionary who sets France on the path to 1789. It is a convincing and compelling portrait of a man who, three hundred years after his death, still epitomizes the idea of le grand monarque.

The Sun King at Sea

Author: Meredith Martin
Publisher: Getty Publications
ISBN: 1606067303
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
This richly illustrated volume, the first devoted to maritime art and galley slavery in early modern France, shows how royal propagandists used the image and labor of enslaved Muslims to glorify Louis XIV. Mediterranean maritime art and the forced labor on which it depended were fundamental to the politics and propaganda of France’s King Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715). Yet most studies of French art in this period focus on Paris and Versailles, overlooking the presence or portrayal of galley slaves on the kingdom’s coasts. By examining a wide range of artistic productions—ship design, artillery sculpture, medals, paintings, and prints—Meredith Martin and Gillian Weiss uncover a vital aspect of royal representation and unsettle a standard picture of art and power in early modern France. With an abundant selection of startling images, many never before published, The Sun King at Sea emphasizes the role of esclaves turcs (enslaved Turks)—rowers who were captured or purchased from Islamic lands—in building and decorating ships and other art objects that circulated on land and by sea to glorify the Crown. Challenging the notion that human bondage vanished from continental France, this cross-disciplinary volume invites a reassessment of servitude as a visible condition, mode of representation, and symbol of sovereignty during Louis XIV’s reign.

The Sun King

Author: Nancy Mitford
Publisher: New York Review of Books
ISBN: 1590174917
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 209

Book Description
A “devastatingly witty” biography of Louis XIV and the Court of Versailles—at once a historical record of late 17th- and early 18th-century France and a gossip-filled narrative of lovers and rivals, artists and warriors (The New York Times) The Sun King is a dazzling double portrait of Louis XIV and Versailles, the opulent court from which he ruled. With characteristic élan, Nancy Mitford reconstructs the daily life of king and courtiers during France’s golden age, offering vivid sketches of the architects, artists, and gardeners responsible for the creation of the most magnificent palace Europe had yet seen. Mitford lays bare the complex and deadly intrigues in the stateroom and the no less high-stakes power struggles in the bedroom. At the center of it all is Louis XIV himself, the demanding, mercurial, but remarkably resilient sovereign who guided France through nearly three quarters of the Grand Siècle. Brimming with sumptuous detail and delicious bons mots, and written in a witty, conversational style, The Sun King restores a distant glittering century to vibrant life.

Love and Louis XIV

Author: Antonia Fraser
Publisher: Anchor Canada
ISBN: 0385672519
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 466

Book Description
The superb historian and biographer Antonia Fraser, author of Marie Antoinette, casts new light on the splendor and the scandals of the reign of Louis XIV in this dramatic, illuminating look at the women in his life. The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in seventeenth-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis’s accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women. The king’s mother, Anne of Austria, had been in a childless marriage for twenty-two years before she gave birth to Louis XIV. A devout Catholic, she instilled in her son a strong sense of piety and fought successfully for his right to absolute power. In 1660, Louis married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, in a political arrangement. While unfailingly kind to the official Queen of Versailles, Louis sought others to satisfy his romantic and sexual desires. After a flirtation with his sister-in-law, his first important mistress was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him several children before being replaced by the tempestuous and brilliant Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Later, when Athénaïs’s reputation was tarnished, the King continued to support her publicly as Athénaïs left court for a life of repentance. Meanwhile her children’s governess, the intelligent and seemingly puritanical Françoise de Maintenon, had already won the King’s affections; in a relationship in complete contrast to his physical obsession with Athénaïs, Louis XIV lived happily with Madame de Maintenon for the rest of his life, very probably marrying her in secret. When his grandson’s child bride, the enchanting Adelaide of Savoy, came to Versaille she lightened the King’s last years – until tragedy struck. With consummate skill, Antonia Fraser weaves insights into the nature of women’s religious lives – as well as such practical matters as contraception – into her magnificent, sweeping portrait of the king, his court, and his ladies.

A Fanfare for the Sun King

Author: Pamela Cowen
Publisher: Third Millennium Information Ltd
ISBN: 9781903942208
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
This beautifully illustrated volume, published in conjunction with a landmark exhibition at The Fan Museum, Greenwich, gathers together a marvellous group of over 40 fans and fan leaves dating from the reign of Louis XIV.In this fascinating book, daily life and times at the court of the 'Sun King', including well-known figures such as Madames de Montespan and Maintenon, as well as other royal and court figures, visiting dignitaries and national events, are discussed in considerable detail. Many scenes are set in the grounds of Versailles and these are identified by the author, whose impeccable research provides the gossip 'straight from the horse's mouth'. All this is presented in the vehicle of the folding fan, which rose to prominence under Louis XIV. He inspired subject matter for painted fan leaves, and moreover imposed strict etiquette at court involving the use (and non-use) of fans.

Murder on the Sun King

Author: Lara Helou
Publisher: Le Lys Bleu Éditions
ISBN:
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 86

Book Description
"Murder on the Sun King – True story" depicts a true story. It is the darkest event of the seventeenth century, placed in a modern context similar to enigmatic detective novels. Through an inspiration written by Charles Perrault, Blue-Beard hides horrific secrets in his countryside. His young wife uncovers his plots. This analysis is a thriller for filmmaking. A tremendous suspenseful story for all. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lara Helou is Doctor of literature from Sorbonne (PHD). Her thesis is published by Presses du Septentrion and widely referenced by WorldCat at New York, Princeton, Indiana, Berkeley, Stanford, California and Berlin universities. Since 2003, she has written and produced 53 stories for screen and audio-visual books for international airlines such as Air France, Corsair, Air Austral, Air Calin. Her stories are also displayed on Kids pads and Royal Caribbean Cruises Line and are read by more than 2 million readers worldwide.

In the Sun King's Paris with Molière

Author: Renzo Rossi
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
ISBN: 9780761443322
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 52

Book Description
In "Come See My City," readers travel through time and space to tour some of the worlds most famous cities during important historical periods, such as the Renaissance in Florence and the Golden Age of Athens

Scottish Soldiers in France in the Reign of the Sun King

Author: Matthew Glozier
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9047405382
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
The Journal of Muslims in Europe welcomes articles dealing with contemporary issues of Islam and Muslims in Europe from all disciplines and across the whole region, as well as historical studies of relevance to the present. The focus is on articles offering cross-country comparisons or with significant theoretical or methodological relevance to the field. Case studies with innovative approaches or under-explored issues and studies of policy and policy development in the various European institutions, including the European courts, and transnational movements and social and cultural processes are also welcome. The journal also welcomes book reviews.

The Sun King's Garden

Author: Ian Thompson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1582346313
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Book Description
Presents an illustrated account of the creation of one of the world's most dazzling and extensive gardens, the gardens at the palace of Versailles, noting the unique four-decade friendship between Louis XIV, the creator of the garden, and Andre Le Ntre, the gardener.

A/AS Level History for AQA The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715 Student Book

Author: David Hickman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107571774
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Book Description
A new series of bespoke, full-coverage resources developed for the AQA 2015 A/AS Level History. Written for the AQA A/AS Level History specifications for first teaching from 2015, this print Student Book covers The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643-1715 Depth component. Completely matched to the new AQA specification, this full-colour Student Book provides valuable background information to contextualise the period of study. Supporting students in developing their critical thinking, research and written communication skills, it also encourages them to make links between different time periods, topics and historical themes.